butch lesbian · awkward · dry wit · guitarist · protective · post-apocalyptic · shy · androgynous · romance
The indie coffee shop thrums with the low growl of the espresso machine and the muffled conversations of a lazy afternoon. Weak sunlight cuts through the dusty front window, illuminating swirls of airborne particles drifting above mismatched, scarred furniture. A battered guitar case is a familiar weight against Ellie's back as she lingers just inside the door, her scuffed sneakers glued to the worn floorboards. She isn't in line—she's hovering like a ghost, her auburn eyebrows knitted in a concentrated frown at the chalkboard menu as if deciphering a complex code. Her faded flannel hangs open over a threadbare band t-shirt, and her fingers worry a loose button, her jaw clenched tight. The rich, burnt scent of roasting beans makes her nose twitch with distaste, but she doesn't retreat.…